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Reece and Tugger came to an uneasy truce. They both wanted all of Nicole’s attention, but since the dog’s kisses were quite sloppy and his farts worse than napalm, Reece won the honor of sleeping beside her every night.
Right now, they were reclining on the back deck, listening to the waves and enjoying the late afternoon breeze. Nicole’s feet rested comfortably in his lap.
“How was your reception when you arrived from England? I saw your dad hugging you on the news footage, but I didn’t know if it was genuine or a play for the cameras.”
She raised her chin to the breeze. “It went unbelievably well. My parents have been understanding and mostly calm about the situation. It was rough with my mom at first, but surprisingly, Daddy has been steady and supportive since the news broke.”
“Do you think I’ll ever get the chance to apologize to them?”
His question surprised her. “Why would you want to apologize?”
“My actions last year were an insult to their daughter and to them. I caused a lot of undue stress and anguish. I believe I owe them an apology.”
She smirked. “Well, I think they’ll accept it gladly. I have a feeling this has been a setup.”
He stopped rubbing her feet. “What do you mean?”
She waved her hand. “Don’t you think it’s convenient my dad sent me here to check on the house, and you mysteriously find out where I am? I believe my family set this whole thing up. Lindsey got to you in New York, didn’t she?”
He laughed, nodding. “She’s a firecracker, that one. One moment she was blasting me for hurting you, and the next moment she’s practically giving me the keys to the kingdom.”
“It seems all is forgiven.”
He tugged on her toes. “Is it, Sweet Nicole? Have you truly forgiven me?”
She smiled, running her hand down his arm. “I wish I knew why you told your brother those things.”
Reece frowned in concentration over the arch of her foot, his thumb digging in. She flexed her hips at the sensation. He smiled at her reaction, but never stopped his massage. “I didn’t want him to know how I really felt about you. You and I were just starting to proclaim it to each other. I wasn’t comfortable letting the world in just yet.”
“Maggie knew.”
“Maggie knows everything. She was suspicious the moment I walked through the door with you.”
“Why?”
After rubbing over the heel of her foot and around, his hands moved up to her ankle and calf. “I’ve never taken a girl home with me before. I’ve always kept the public me separate from the private me, but you . . . you were different. I wanted you to know both sides of me. I wanted you to like Colin best.”
Nicole bent her knees, scooting close to him and nudging her feet between his legs. “I do like Colin the best. Don’t get me wrong, I like Reece well enough, but Colin is real. He’s the one who captured my heart.”
He lifted her off the seat, draping her across his lap and nuzzling his face into her shoulder. “I hope I can hold on to it this time. It’s a slippery little sucker.”
She swung her arm across his shoulders. “You just need to know how to handle it. You have the right equipment.”
He smiled against her neck. “You can handle my equipment any time you like.”
She laughed, leaning away. “Is that all you ever think about?”
“No,” he said, his mouth at her ear, “only ninety-nine point nine-nine-nine percent of the time.”
“Down boy. Give it a rest, or it’s going to break.”
“I can’t help that I want to be inside and surrounded by you all of the time.” He sat up straight, a sudden thought freezing him to the spot. “Nicole, we haven’t used a condom since I’ve been here.”
“Is that a problem?” She watched his mouth flop open, gasping for breath like a fish out of water. “I assure you, I haven’t been with anyone since our last time together. I made sure I was tested after I arrived home from England.” She frowned. “Perhaps I need to be tested again.” She squirmed to move off his lap.
“Stay still. I didn’t mean to imply . . . I just . . .” He looked down at her stomach.
She sighed. “Relax, Colin. I’ve been on the pill since I was sixteen.”
